Email from ‘Sen. Ellis’ pleads for help in Belgium

Friends of Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, got some distressing news in an early Wednesday morning email from his personal account indicating he needed help while in Belgium taking care of an ill cousin.

Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston

From the email:

She is suffering from a Kidney disease and must undergo Kidney transplant to save her life. Kidney transplant is very expensive here so I want to transfer her back home to have the surgery implemented,” according to the email plea. “I really need to take care of this now but my credit card can’t work here. I traveled with little money due to the short time I had to prepare for this trip and never expected things to be the way it is right now. I need a loan of 2,650 Euros from you to take care of things here and I promise to reimburse you at my return.”

Kindly get back to me asap if you can assist so I’ll advise on how to transfer funds.

Thanks,
Rodney

Actually, the senator was preparing for a session of the Texas Senate and was very much in Austin, Texas. Turns out, someone trying to make mischief and entice the less skeptical into wiring money hacked into Ellis’ account.

Quite a few folks asked Ellis or his office about the phony email.

We like the response that retired Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, dashed off to his friend under the bold subject line: Coming to Belgium to help!

Dear Senator Ellis,

Just now we heard the terrible news from Belgium!

We are really upset that this happened to you in Belgium and not say Paris or London .